Lung Disease News and Research

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Including smokers in donor pool improves survival rates for patients on lung transplant waiting lists and should be continued

New research shows that lung transplant patients who receive the lungs of smokers have a better overall chance of survival than those who remain on waiting lists, despite the fact that they tend to survive for a shorter period after transplantation than those who receive the lungs of non-smokers.

29 May 2012

Insmed initiates patient screening for ARIKACE phase 2 NTM lung disease trial

Insmed Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has begun screening patients for its U.S. phase 2 clinical trial, Treatment with ARIKACE to Realize Greater Efficacy Trial (TARGET-NTM), of ARIKACE (liposomal amikacin for inhalation) in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease.

24 May 2012

International task force unveils revised definition of ARDS

An international task force this week unveiled a revised definition of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a disease first recognized during the Vietnam War in casualties with limb injuries who had trouble breathing.

23 May 2012

Airway inflammation linked with asthma-related mortality rates in older adults

Higher mortality rates among older adult asthma patients compared to their younger counterparts may be due, at least in part, to an increase in airway inflammation, according to a study conducted by researchers in Canada, who note that their results imply that elderly patients are either less likely to follow asthma medication dosing instructions, or that the underlying airway inflammation in elderly patients is relatively resistant to current anti-inflammatory therapies.

22 May 2012

UAB creates Program in Environmental and Translational Medicine

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has created a Program in Environmental and Translational Medicine, a multi-faceted approach to dealing with health issues tied to environmental origins.

22 May 2012

Osteopenia/osteoporosis more prevalent among male patients with pulmonary disease

There is a very high prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis among male patients with pulmonary disease, according to a new study from researchers in California.

21 May 2012

Three-drug combo harmful for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

A combination of three drugs used worldwide as the standard of care for a serious lung disease puts patients in danger of death or hospitalization, and should not be used together to treat the disease, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to the surprising results of a rigorous independent study.

21 May 2012

Tiny filter could fight against tuberculosis

A tiny filter could have a big impact around the world in the fight against tuberculosis. Using the traditional microscope-based diagnosis method as a starting point, a University of Florida lung disease specialist and colleagues in Brazil have devised a way to detect more cases of the bacterial infection.

18 May 2012

WHO releases World Health Statistics 2012 with first-time data on blood pressure, diabetes

The WHO on Wednesday released its World Health Statistics 2012 report, which "for the first time includes a look at blood pressure and glucose levels, two of the risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease," according to the Associated Press/Washington Post.

17 May 2012

ACE2 molecule now protects major organs in diabetic patients

ACE2, a molecule that has been shown to prevent damage in the heart, is now proving to be protective of the major organs that are often damaged in diabetic patients.

17 May 2012

World health statistics 2012 report puts spotlight on growing problem of NCD burden

The World health statistics 2012 report, released today, puts the spotlight on the growing problem of the noncommunicable diseases burden.

16 May 2012

African Americans have more severe complications from scleroderma

African Americans have more severe complications from systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma, than Caucasians. Findings published today in, Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), show that compared with Caucasians, African-American patients were more likely to have antibodies that increased frequency and severity of pulmonary fibrosis, which is associated with decreased survival.

10 May 2012

Discovery Labs reports data from SURFAXIN preclinical study on RDS

Discovery Laboratories, Inc., a specialty biotechnology company dedicated to advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care, reported that data from a preclinical study of SURFAXIN LS (lyophilized KL4 surfactant) was recently published in the May issue of Pediatric Research.

10 May 2012

Cardiac testing important for lung disease prognosis, treatment

A simple test for heart disease risk can go a long way toward determining the long-term prognosis for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to UC Irvine researchers.

3 May 2012

Link between obesity and RA in women

Obesity and the painful autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis are each becoming more common, raising a logical question: Could one have something to do with the other? For women, it appears there is a link, Mayo Clinic researchers say.

26 Apr 2012

MSU report: Rate of workplace deaths in Michigan remained steady in 2011

The rate of workplace deaths in Michigan remained steady in 2011, as 141 workers died on the job compared with 145 in 2010, according to an annual report from Michigan State University.

25 Apr 2012

Study shows how MRSA epidemics may emerge and spread at molecular level

National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and their colleagues in China have described a rapidly emerging Staphylococcus aureus gene, called sasX, which plays a pivotal role in establishing methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) epidemics in most of Asia.

23 Apr 2012

Developments in mesothelioma treatment presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference

New results presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland show important steps being made to improve the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the outer lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure.

19 Apr 2012

Testosterone may help heart failure patients: Study

The researchers used testosterone patches and injections that improved the breathing and exercise abilities of people with heart failure, a chronic inability of the heart to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Although most of the study participants were men, the researchers said the results would likely apply to women as well, through much smaller doses of testosterone.

18 Apr 2012

Flu outbreak at veterans home

State Veterans' Affairs Commissioner Linda Schwartz told The Associated Press that the veterans were taken to Hartford Hospital after a number began complaining of flu-like symptoms. The 18 men live at the Connecticut State Veterans Home in either the Sgt. John L. Levitow Veteran's Health Center or a residential facility.

17 Apr 2012